Chapter 36 Volume Four, Chapter Five

Socrates made his disciples more practical.The Necessity of Self-Control, Sections 1 and 2.The disadvantages of lack of self-control, verses 3-7.The Benefits of Self-Control, pp. 8-10.The conduct of self-controlled men, v. 11, 12. I shall now go on to describe how Socrates made those who associated with him more practical.He believed that self-control was necessary to anyone who wished to achieve anything noble, and therefore, first of all, he made it apparent to those with whom he was associated that, of all men, he himself was the most practised. .Then, by his speech, he exhorted his disciples to value self-control more than anything else.He constantly keeps in his mind those things that are conducive to virtue, and reminds all his disciples of them.I know that he once gave Eusudamus the following conversation about self-control:

"Eusudemus, tell me," said Socrates, "do you think that liberty is a noble and fine property both for the individual and for the city?" "I thought it was," Usudemus replied. "Then do you think he is a free man who is governed by the passions of his body and cannot do what is best?" "Absolutely not," Usudaimos replied. "Perhaps, in your opinion, being able to do the best thing is freedom, and thus being hindered, not being able to do such things is not free?" "Indeed it is," replied Usudemus. "Then, is it true, in your opinion, that whoever cannot control himself is not free?"

"Naturally." "But do you think that those who cannot restrain themselves are merely prevented from doing the best things, or are they also compelled to do the most outrageous things?" "In my opinion," replied Eusudaimos, "they are both prevented from doing the best and compelled to do the most shameless." "What kind of master do you think is that who prevents a man from doing the best, and at the same time forces him to do the worst?" "Of course the worst host," replied Eusudemus. "What kind of slave do you think is the worst slave?"

"I thought the worst slaves were those who were subject to the worst masters," said Usudemus. "So the man who can't control himself is the worst kind of slave?" "I think so," Usudemus replied. "Wisdom is the greatest good. Do you not think that incontinence keeps wisdom away from man, and drives him in the opposite direction? Do you not think that incontinence makes man linger on pleasure, and often drives those Are those who are capable of distinguishing between good and bad so insensitive that, instead of choosing the better thing, they choose the worse thing, thereby hindering the attention and learning of useful things?"

"There are such cases," Usudemus replied. "Let us think, Eusudemus, what could be more disproportionate to sane reason than a man who cannot control himself? For I think that the actions of sound reason and self-control are just opposites." "I agree with that too," Usudemus replied. "What do you think is more a hindrance to attention to what is right than a lack of self-control?" "I don't think so," Usudemus replied. "What can you think is more beneficial to a man than to make him choose the harmful to the beneficial, to ignore the beneficial to the harmful, and to compel him to do what is contrary to his sound reason?" Is something bad?"

"No," Usudaimos replied. "Isn't it natural that self-control has the opposite effect on man than that of non-self-control?" "Of course it is," Usudemus replied. "Then the cause of this opposite effect is a great good for man?" "Indeed," Usudemus replied. "So, Yusudaimos, self-control is a great thing for a man?" "Quite so, Socrates," replied Eusudemus. "Eusudemus, have you ever considered...?" "Think about what?" "That is, although it is thought that the only thing which can be brought to a man by incontinence is happiness, in fact it does not do that, and the only thing which can bring man the greatest happiness is self-control."

"How do you say that?" Usudemus asked. "Because without self-control one cannot endure hunger, thirst, sensuality, and drowsiness, which is what makes eating, drinking, sex, rest, and sleep fun; after a period of anticipation and restraint, these Nothing gives man the greatest pleasure, but incapacity prevents the enjoyment of this praiseworthy most necessary and frequent pleasure. Self-control alone can make a man bear all that I have said, and therefore only self-control to enable man to enjoy these commendable pleasures which I have mentioned." "Everything you say is true," Usudemus said.

"On the other hand, the study of noble and good things, the study of those things which enable a man to preserve his body, govern his family, benefit his friends and the city, and subdue his enemies--all these are not only beneficial, And it produces the greatest pleasure--those who are able to control themselves enjoy all this while they practice it, but those who cannot control themselves share in nothing. Let us imagine who could be better than those who, because of Whoever is so absorbed in the pursuit of immediate pleasures that he at least puts them into practice, is much less fit to enjoy them?"

"Socrates," said Eusudemus, "I thought you seemed to be saying that those who love physical pleasures have no part in any virtue." "Eusudemus," replied Socrates, "what is the difference between a man who cannot control himself and the stupidest beast? He who does not value the best things, but only strives for the greatest pleasure with all his strength, and the most stupid How is it any different from the domesticated animals? Only a man of self-control values ​​the best in practical life, discriminates things, and, by word and deed, chooses the good and avoids the bad."

Socrates said that it must be like this to be the noblest, happiest and most reasoning person.He also said that the word διαKH'[HDθαι (reasoning) is due to the fact that people get together, discuss together, and conduct διαKH' according to the nature of things. [αJAαι (discrimination) and come.It is necessary, therefore, to make the best effort to prepare oneself, to study this adequately; for this makes a man the most noble, the best leader, and the best reasoner.